Baled hay rack and carrier



W. F. FESSLER BALED HAY RACK AND CARRIER Aug. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1IN V EN TOR.

Filed Sept. 26, 1956 WILLIAM F F'ESSLE R BY WV W ATTORN EY S W. F.FESSLER BALED HAY RACK AND CARRIER Aug. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledSept. 26, 1956 INVEN TOR. WILLIAM F. FE SSLE R ATTOR N EY 3 BALED HAYRACK AND CARRIER William F. Fessler, Mount Angel, Oreg.

Application'september 26, 1956, Serial No. 612,258

3 Claims. (Cl. 56-4735) The present invention relates to a baled hayrack and carrier to be towed behind hay balers and receive baled haytherefrom.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a rack and carrier tobe towed by hay balers for receiving the bales of hay from the baler,carrying the same to a predetermined destination where they are releasedfrom the rack to be picked up by trucks.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rack for carrying haybales discharged from hay balers wherein the operator of the balercan'release the accumulated bales at a predetermined location.

Another object of the invention is to provide means associated ,with therack and carrier for resetting automatically for another load of haybales.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention shown connected to therear of a hay baler, with the baler broken away.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Figure1, looking in the'direction indicated, with parts broken away forconvenience of illustration.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 4, looking in the direction incated, showing the discharge ofbaled hay therefrom.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the rack and carrier, shown attached tothe rear end of the hay baler, parts broken away for convenience ofillustration.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal crosssection taken onthe line 55 of Figure 4, looking in the direction indicated.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse crosssection taken on theline 6-6 of Figure 4, looking in the direction indicated.

atent O Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken on theline 77 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like referencecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, thereference character B indicates generally a fragmentary portion of abaling chamber of a conventional mobile hay baler. The portion of thebaling chamber B illustrated is the rear or discharge end of the baler.

My new and improved hay baler rack and carrier is illustrated generallyby the letter R and consists of a pair of spaced parallelly disposedframes 10 and 11. The frames 10 and 11 are connected together by atransverse frame member 12 intermediate their ends, and a rear crossframe 13 at the rear end. Suitable gussets 14 are provided between theframes for maintaining the assembled framework in fixed alignment.

The forward ends of the side frames 10 and 11 are connected to atransverse draw bar 15, which is detachably connected to the balingchamber B by bolts or any other suitable means (not shown). Thetransverse draw bar 15 is braced by a bar 16,'which is fixedly mountedto the baling chamber B at 17 and to the draw bar 15 at 18. The framemembers 10 and 11 are detachably connected to the draw bar 15 by kingpins 19. r

The rear end of the frames 10 and 11 are supported upon caster wheels 20carried by brackets 21. The vertically disposed portions 22 of thebrackets 21 are fixedly secured at 23 to the end of the side frames 10and 11, and to the end of the transverse frame 13, as best illustratedin Figure 2. The brackets are further braced by the bracing 24 to theside frames 10 and 11.

The caster wheels 20 are provided with tires 25 and are mountedwithinthe forks 26. The forks 26 have a vertical king pin 27 formingpart thereof and journalled within the vertical bearings 28 forming partof the brackets 21. By supporting the carrier R on caster wheels 20, thecarrier R can be swung around with the hay baler while making turns.

The body of the rack consists of vertical posts 29, which are fixedlysecured to the vertical portions 22 of the brackets 21 by any suitablemeans, such as welding (not shown). The posts 29 support side members 30of the rack and are braced by braces 31, extending outwardly therefromto the brackets 21, as seen in Figure 2.

Vertical posts 32 are fixedly mounted upon the cross member 12 at 33 andfurther support the-rack side members 30 on their forward end of thecarrier R, while the rear end of the side members 30 are connectedtogether by vertical legs 34, which extend upwardly therealong at therear of the carrier R at 35.

The vertical posts 34 at their upper ends support a transverse spacerbar or beam 36, which is fixedly secured thereto by welding (not shown)or other suitable means. The transverse bar 36 supports a tail gateassembly T, which consists of vertical slats 37 secured thereto byclamps 38, referring particularly to Figures 2, 4 and 7.

A second transverse bar or beam 39 is secured to the lower end of theslats 37 of the tail gate T by clamps 40, the bar 39 extending'beyondthe vertical posts 34 and resting thereagainst when the tail gate T isclosed. Latches 41 are pivotally mounted at 42 to the bottom of theposts 34 and latch over the opposite ends respectively of the transversebar 39, referring particularly to Figures 1 and 4. A spring 43 forcesthe latch 41 into engagement with the bar 39 and against a limit stop44, except when the bales H are discharged from the carrier R, theoperation of whichwillbe later described.

The bottom 45 of the carrier R is pivotally supported by the transverseframe member 13, referring particularly to Figures 2, 3 and 4 by anglebars 46 engaged over opposite sides of the member 13 and which arefixedly secured to the underside of the planking 47. The planking 47together with the angle bars 46 are held in the cross frame 13 bylocking bolts 48. The forward end of the planks 47 are connectedtogether by a transverse angle bar 49, while the rear of the planks 47are connected together by a transverse member 50.

The [forward end 51 of the bottom 45 is slightly heavier than the rearof the bottom 45 so that the weight of the same will position the bottom45 in a horizontal plane when the bales H of hay are released therefrom.Re: ferring to Figure 5, the bottom 45 is held in a level or carryingposition by a locking bar 52 which passes through an opening 53 in thetransverse frame 12 and into an opening 54 in the transverse frame 49 ofthe bottom 45.

The locking bar 52 is pivotally connected to a vertical lever 55 at 56.The vertical lever 55 is pivotally mounted at 57 to a bracket 58 formingpart of the transverse frame member 12. A spring 59 normally maintainsthe locking bar 52 in the position shown in Figure 5.

A pull cord 60 is connected to the lever 55 at 61 and extends to theoperators position located on the hay baler where the operator canunlock the locking bar 52 from the bottom 45, discharging the hay balesH from the carrier R.

Fixedly secured to the rear of the baling chamber B is an inclined chute62, consisting of side angles 63 and 63', connected together by suitablebracing 64. The chute 62 is further braced by guy wires 65 connected tothe chute 62 and baling chamber B at their respective opposite ends.Referring particularly to Figure 4, it will be noted that the angle 63stops at the point 66, while the angle 63 continues on rearwardly.

A flat bar or guide 67 is disposed intermediate the guides 63 and 63'.In order to maintain the bale of hay H in alignment until dischargedfrom the chute 62, a star-wheel 68 is journalled to the outer end of theguideway 63' on a stub shaft 69. Extending transversely of the guide bar67 are a plurality of downwardly curved fingers 70, referringparticularly to Figure 6.

Connected to the bottom 45 at 71 are pull cords 72, having their upperends connected to the latches 41 at 73. The pull cords 72 unlatch thetail gate T when it is desired to dump the baled hay H from the bottom,the operation of which will now be described.

As the hay is baled within the baling chamber B of the baler anddischarged therefrom, as indicated by the broken lines representing thebaled hay H, it forces the preceding bale H up the inclined chute 62.When the forward end of the bale H to be discharged on the bottom 45 ofthe carrier reaches the star-wheel 68, this starwheel penetrates thebale H causing the bale H to go straight forward beyond the end 66 ofthe guideway 63 onto the fingers 70 until its rear end reaches the point66, at which time the bale will tilt sidewise and downwardly over thesurface of the fingers 70, referring particularly to Figure 6, and ontothe bottom 45 of the carrier R slightly rearwardly of the transversepivot frame member 13. The starwheel 68 maintaining the bale H instraight aligned position until the bale H releases from the end of theguideways 63 at 66.

When the desired number of bales H are released onto the bottom 45 ofthe carrier R, the operator of the baler grasps the pull cord 60,pulling the same, which will release the locking bolt 52 from the hole54 of the transverse bar 49 of the bottom 45. This will permit theforward end 51 of the bottom 45 to raise up due to the weight of thebales H beyond the center pivot cross bar 13.

When this happens the pull cords 72 unlatch the latches 41 from thetransverse bar 39 of the tail gate T, allowing the gate T to swing open,as illustrated in Figure 3, discharging the bales of hay H onto theground surface.

As the baler B moves forward, together with the baled hay carrier R, theforward end of the bottom 45 will be heavier than the rear end of thebottom 45, causing the same to return to its horizontal position wherethe locking bar 52 will re-engage the transverse bar 49 holding thebottom 45 in this position.

The pull cord 72 will be slackened ofif, allowing the springs 43 of thelatches 41 to permit the latches 41 to engage the transverse tail gatebar 39, holding the tail gate T closed for receiving another load ofbaled hay H.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, itshould be understood that numerous structural modifications andadaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A baled hay carrier for use with a hay baler of the type havingrearwardly discharging hay bales and means for guiding said bales intosaid carrier comprising, a frame adapted for attachment at its forwardend to the rear end of said hay baler, wheels supporting the rear end ofsaid frame, spaced parallel sides secured to said frame and extendingupwardly therefrom, a tail gate having its upper end pivotally supportedon the upper rear edges of said sides, a hook pivotally carried on eachof said sides at the rear thereof for releasably securing the lower endof said tail gate to said sides, a bottom, transverse horizontal pivotmeans securing said bottom to said frame, said pivot means being securedto said bottom rearwardly of the center of gravity of said bottom, alatch bolt mounted on said frame forwardly of said bottom for releasablysecuring the forward end of said bottom to said frame, flexible meansfor moving said latch bolt to bottom releasing position, and flexiblemeans extending from the rear portion of said bottom to said hookswhereby pivotal movement of said bottom away from said tail gate pivotssaid hooks and releases said tail gate for rearwardly swinging movementdischarging hay bales supported on said bottom.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wheels supporting saidframe comprise spaced apart caster wheels.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein brackets are provided on saidframework for supporting said caster wheels at a point substantiallyabove said framework.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSDoherty Aug. 29, 1950 Jones Dec. 29, 1955

